Jason Law and his family were enjoying the water at Woodlands beach in Tiny Township Tueday. The heat, sun and sand are the perfect combination for their weeklong vacation, Law tells CTV News. “The water is so clean, it’s quiet and peaceful and it’s nice to get away from the city” says Law who is visiting from Hamilton, Ont. To help keep people safe while cooling off this summer the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is monitoring water quality at more than 75 local lakes. On Tuesday, some of its staff were at the beach testing water levels. “We take about five to ten samples depending on the length of the beach and we bring those to Ontario Public Health laboratory to be tested for E.coli” says Haley Glass with the SMDHU’s Safe Water Program. On average, testing teams take about one sample a week from each beach in the region. E.coli can increase the risk of illness and infection for swimmers. Weather and environmental conditions are big factors in the water’s quality, experts say. “We sample at about a meter to a meter and half deep,” says Karen Kivilahti with the SMDHU. “We have a sampling protocol, so we have to go out to about waist deep and then you have to collect the sample about 18 inches below to sort of simulate somebody diving underneath the water where their head is exposed,” Kivilahti says. People are encouraged to check with the health units website before heading the beach to make sure its safe to swim. Even though some health units across the province have decided to stop testing its lakes for swimming, the SMDHU has not. “Heavy rain can contribute to high bacteria,” Kivilahti adds. “That rain washes all the bacteria contaminants into the water, so it takes time for the lake to naturally recover from an event like that,” she says. Swimmers at the beach Tuesday say they appreciate the testing done by the local health unit. “You know it’s very beneficial,” says Karel Zimprich, visiting from British Columbia. “I don’t want to end up with a skin disease of some sort of ailment,” Zimprich adds. “Safety is first,” says Debbie Clarke, a resident of Tiny. “You don’t want to get sick, you don’t want the dogs sick,” says Clarke. The health unit says if you can’t see you feet while standing in waste deep water, bacterial levels may be high than normal. If you are thinking about visiting any beach in the region this summer you are encouraged to check out the health unit’s beach water advisory web page before jumping in. If you do go in, you are urged to avoid placing your heard under the water and try your best to avoid swallowing any water as a precaution. Residents are also encouraged to sanitize your hands before touching any food at the beach.
